Christopher Blair
Christopher Blair, (callsign Maverick, Pilgrim), The Heart of the Tiger and the Savior of the Terran Confederation was a hero of the Kilrathi War. A competent and cool-headed, though not unemotional, with his 'rebellious' cockpit moniker assigned him as an ironic reference to his Boy Scout personality. He is one of the top twenty aces of the war having served alongside the other top aces including Todd Marshall (Maniac), and Carl T. LaFong (Prankster), who were amonng disproportinate number aces served in the Rapier II squadrons.Star*Soldier, 7 Personal Biography Christopher is a calm, handsome fellow who descends from 40 generations of a family of Blairs, which maintained a tradition of wealth, influence and public service. He was originally born on Earth (or possibly Nephele, though at least spent most of his life there). His parents were Arnold Blair a great military hero and warrior of the Terran Confederation and Devi Soulsong from Peron, from whom he inherited the Pilgrim talents. NovelPilgrim Truth The infant Christopher was smuggled off Peron and sent to live with the family of Jennifer Blair, his aunt, and Uncle Samuel. When he was four his parents were both killed in the Peron Massacre, during his father's unauthorized attempt to rescue his wife. As many people orphaned in a young age, he developed feelings of rejection and guilt over his parents' deaths, having the belief that he caused them to "go away" and for this he pursued correct behavior growing up to remedy his crime. His new father was a pacifist and chairman of StarPeace, while his grandmother was a member of the Confederation Council.Wing Commander Academy: Series bible During the post-war era, young Christopher learned to hate Pilgrims as evil enemies. He was filled with pride about his father who died as a war hero and was lionized by his playmates because of this. In school his grades were excellent. But that was until a reporter published a sensational story to the sector news-nets titled "War Hero's Secret Pilgrim Romance" revealing his wife's origins and their son. This created a scandal in the rural conservative community, resulting to prejudice against young Christopher who was only 8 years old; parents pulled their children away from the Pilgrim kid, he lost his friends and started to be mocked by them. This incindent caused a second significant trauma and revived his early feelings of guilt and abandonment, feelings that he would remember in detail until his adult years. During this period his grades plummeted (possibly because of his teachers' prejudice and reduced expectations and negative reports), and he began to become withdrawn, stubborn and destructive. On his eighth birthday, his uncle took him to his mother's grave on Nephele to console him to explain that his mother was a good person, and that not to believe all the stories that were told. Blair was given the Pilgrim Cross by his uncle which was found on his mother's body. Blair believed he had heard his mom's voice call out to him from beyond the grave. However, at following that in anger he may have thrown the cross the ground and stomped on it before picking it up. But as the community got over the initial shock, Christopher was able to resume his emotional development (although the scars retarded his progress) and over the years his grades and conduct showed a steady increase. When he was 13 he determined to move beyond his parentage. The Pilgrims were no more considered the monsters they were after the war, being replaced by the Kilrathi in the collective conscience, the media were more objective and even the Terran Confederation's motivations and ethics in the conflict were questioned. In that context Christopher channeled his rebelliousness and intelligence into a pursuit for knowledge; he read voraciously on the Pilgrim Conflict, even radical revisionist propaganda and militaria, a fascination that continued to his adult years, helping him to cope with his traumas. He started to wear secretly the Pilgrim cross. In high school his grades again rose and became a class leader and successful athlete. He was argumentative in class and kept and intellectual individualism, holding unconventional/unpopular views in his conservative community. Blair did not opt to avoid his military training, but rather volunteered for fighter training because he wanted to gain flying experienceMovie novel, and also to do his duty at the Space Naval Academy although his parents objected to that decision.Movie Novel, pg He decided to apply for the Academy the day of the deadline. Cadet years He did not want to become an officer until he was "certain he was 100% behind it"; but once he determined, he committed himself completely to his goal. He joined the Academy with the 201st plebe class around 2651. He was the roommate of Michael Anthony (and Carl T. LaFong).WCTKS manual, pg A reserved and down-to-earth personality, he was often teased and provoked by his best friend, Todd Marshall aka "Maniac". After months of being a by-the-book cadet, for a first time he had to bend a rule, and Maniac jokingly told him "you are a real maverick, aren't you?" The ironic nickname "Maverick" was adopted as a callsign to contrast with his exemplary loyalty. As classmates in the Academy, they had been rivals in everything from the flight competitions in their final year as midshipmen to gaining the attentions of a particular young lady.WC3 novel, pg Maniac considered himself the best pilot and would not let go any opportunity to dare Maverick, as in during a simulation when he invited Blair to attack a Kilrathi Carrier with a Hellcat, despite the objectives of the exercise, until the simulator crashed. Blair however would not always pay attention to Maniac's games. During his time on Hilthros he developed some interest for his coed Victoria who agreed to study with him Kilrathi Psychology. Commodore Geoffrey Tolwyn, during his visit to the Academy, noticed the competition between the two Cadets and assigned them as leaders of opposing teams during an exercise. Maniac invited Maverick to a private dogfight far from the exercise. To teach him a lesson, Maverick kept him occupied while sending his vector trail to Victoria, allowing his Blue Team to win Maniac's Red Team. Things got complicated with a sabotage which made the ships fire lethal shots, and the presence of a Kilrathi Blockade Runner. Maniac and Maverick jointly attacked and destroyed the ship. After the exercise Tolwyn announced them that they'd continue their training on the under his command. Maverick was saddened when Victoria announced to him that she'd quit her studies after realising that she can't take lives in the War.Red and Blue Flight School During his senior year at the academy, Maverick and Maniac were transferred to the CSF Flight School on Sirius in Sol Sector and board the TCS Formidable, an He was berthed with 17 other pilots. Blair and Maniac would briefly return to Hilthros system in late 2653, shortly before the Formidable was transferred to the Vega Sector; during a routine training flight near the Hilthros system's nebula, they surprised and destroyed a Kilrathi blockade-runner. Following this action he and Maniac were transferred over the Tiger's Claw to continue their cadet training (Carl T. LaFong was left behind on the Formidable). During his training on Sirius, he was approached by Dr. Jillian Ickes (on 084, .092, .099) who seemingly conducted a research study into the early motivational factors of pilot candidates. In reality Ickes had been tasked by Tolwyn to discern whether Blair's sensitivities about his family and Pilgrim heritage might be exploited by the enemy. Maverick scored a record high composite flight score (97.4) and the first graduate of this institution to ever achieve a perfect score in Navigation. He graduated Fighter Pilot training with Distinction, as a member of the Q1 class of 2654. Maverick's graduation ceremony was in February of 2654. Maniac never fit in quite as well as Blair. He barely squeaked through graduation whereas Blair earned honors. WC3 novel, pg While most of his class to his jealousy and chagrin had been awarded prestigious assignments, he had been shuffled around for nearly a month on ships including a brief 30 hour stint on the , before being ferried back to the academy. The commandant had asked him to give several testimonial speeches to the new classes. But Blair felt that his wisdom had fallen on the deaf ears on the new students. Subsequently he was assigned to the Fighter Squadron of the and Gonsalas recommended Blair and Marshall assigned together for their first combat tour. Pilgrim/Kilrathi Alliance Finally as a 1st Lieutenant, he and Maniac were transferred to the Claw in the Vega Sector as replacemnet pilots. While being transported by the Diligent, he received a call from Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn, transmitting him top secret information and ordering him to deliver the encrypted communications chip to Captain Jason Sansky. Tolwyn also mentions that he fought with his father in the Pilgrim Wars. Hearing these news, Captain James Taggart decides to arrive earlier than scheduled and sets course for the gravitic anomaly Scylla which connects directly with the Vega Sector. Blair displayed his dormant Pilgrim talents by instinctively punching the correct coordinations to jump the dangerous anomaly, making their way to Enyo and the Claw. At the Claw On the Claw, Blair delivered Tolwyn's communique to Sansky, and was met with some scepticism because of his Pilgrim heritage, especially by XO Commander Paul Gerald. In the hangar he boarded his Rapier and was provoked by a woman, whom he thought a technician, before realising she was Lieutenant Commander Jeannette Devereaux, his Wing Commander. Blair found a hard time to understand the custom of "disremembering" dead pilots, like Charles Chen whom he came to replace and he caused some friction between Hunter and Devereaux. After these events, Maniac reminded him to remove the Pilgrim Cross, which Blair already had promised, as it brought him trouble. Blair decided to visit Taggart in his quarters who told him more about the Pilgrims. Taggart invited Blair to the bridge where he displayed his experience (actually Pilgrim talents) to jump a pulsar and lead the Claw at the Ulysses Corridor. Blair flew under Angel to investigate the debris of the Pegasus Station in the D-5 asteroid field, but they revealed their presence to a Kilrathi ConCom. On the Claw, Blair was considered responsible by Gerald, even as a traitor; Sansky ordered a new operation against the ConCom. Blair was assigned to the Baker Wing with Hunter, but as he denied to fly with a Pilgrim as his wingman, Blair was assigned Baker 2 under Angel. Then it was realised that Kilrathi capital ships were moving against the Claw. Angel then changed her plans and Blair with Maniac covered Broadswords against a battleship which Taggart managed to destroy. However on the way back Forbes lost control of her Rapier and crashed outside the corridor. Blair held Maniac back while he was running towards the vacuum, and then dissuaded Angel from shooting Maniac as responsible. The Claw descended in an asteroid crater and launched a decoy to lead the Kilrathi battle group away while it performed repairs. However a Destroyer nuked every crater at random, causing the hangar door to breach sucking Blair towards space; pilots acted nonchallant and Maniac had to save him alone. Blair then convinced Angel to forgive Maniac, as his talents were useless with Forbes' death in his conscience. When the ConCom approached the Claw's hideout, Taggart organized a boarding mission. Pilots and Confederation Marines boarded the Diligent and broke into the ConCom to steal fuel cells. Following Taggart's instructions, Blair discovered the Pegasus Navcom A.I. and understood that the Kilrathi had the coordinates to Charybdis and a way to Sol Sector. This information would give the advantage to the battle group as they would know where exactly to anticipate the Kilrathi. However the drones could not be programmed, so Blair was asked by Taggart to pilot a fighter and jump the Charybdis. To give him courage, he revealed his Pilgrim's Cross. When outside, Angel leaves Blair, as she had to hunt down a cloaked skipper missile running towards the Claw. Angel managed to destroy it moments before hitting the Carrier, but damaging her fighter severely, and ordered Blair to continue with his mission. Reluctantly, Blair complied and jumped the quasar, making it to the Sol sector, followed by a . Blair transmitted the coordinates while evading its fires. As Tolwyn was targeting at the coordinates, he could not afford sending support to Blair. Blair however lured the Snakeir towards Scylla; the Kilrathi Admiral, thinking that he leads them towards the Terran fleet followed Blair, only to be sucked by the anomaly, too late to reverse the engines. Kilrathi ships emerged from the jump point one by one just to be destroyed under the fire of the Confederation ships. Blair was soon tractored and taken to the Concordia to meet Tolwyn. He learned that the Claw arrived to Sol and Angel had been rescued. Blair arrived to the hangar where Paladin brought Angel; as soon as she recovered shed shared a kiss with Blair, before being taken by the medics. The Olympus Incident On 2554.088, Blair, Maniac and James Taggart are captured and brought on board the CS Olympus. They are would still be there on the 2654.112 two days after the official start of the Vega Campaign on 2654.110, and thus missed out on the Enyo series. Blair and Maniac would escape leaving Taggart behind on 2654.128. They were left in orbit around Earth wondering what happened to Taggart, and if the Pilgrim Threat and continued threat of Kilrathi could be ended. Tortuga Mission On 2654.131 just after returning to Earth, Maverick served under the Cadet Wing on the Claw'. Maniac continued to dare Maverick, as in "who will reach the briefing room first". One of their first joint missions assigned by Tolwyn was to scout the M4-21a system. During that mission they witnessed a pirate raid against a Kilrathi Transport, and are captured and taken to Tortuga Base. Maniac was amazed to see that their leader was his childhood hero, Daimon Karnes, turned pirate. In the dungeon the two pilots engaged in another brawl about who was responsible, until Karnes invited them to join a raid, which Maniac seemingly accepted. The raid however turned out to be a Kilrathi trap; when the Kilrathi boarded the Base, Maverick hid his Confederation Navy uniform, and was taken to Prince Thrakhath nar Kiranka. He would allow him to live to tell the Confederation about what happens to anyone who attacks the Kilrathi. Alone in the base, he begun repairing his Scimitar and was soon joined by Maniac. Tolwyn revealed that the Confederation knew the truth about Karnes but kept this information secret as this revelation would be bad for the people's morale. He ordered them never to mention their adventure.The Last One Left The Claw returned to Earth for a short period and Maverick and Maniac transferred briefly to the Concordia with Tolwyn.Pilgrim Truth, pg The Return of Ivar Chu McDaniel Blair and Marshall leave the Concordia and returned to the Claw, which was ordered to station over Netheranya. Over the course of the previous months Blair and Deveraux (callsign Angel) had been fellow pilots, then a friend, and then much, much more as their romance developed.WC3 Novel, Chapter 2, pg Angel would forgive him for his time with the Pilgrim Karista. Diocuri Incident In the Netheranya system, on the 2654.162, as the Pilgrim uprising begins to cool down, shortly after returning to the Tiger's Claw from the CF-229d spacecraft ferry, they had been stuck on for four daysPilgrim Truth, Chapter 15, Maniac with Maverick and Grunt were sent on a mission to investigate Kilrathi influence on Dioscuri II, Maverick was dared by Maniac to split up and investigate alone, as his wingman, Bowman, was unavailable because of her shock having to kill Blizzard. Maniac's tactic proved too risky as Maverick was attacked by Dralthis and he had to eject to the planet where he was captured by the native Dioscurans. Maniac soon followed and they were taken to a temple where they started arguing. In vain he attempted to explain to the Shaman that they are not the "Lords of Darkness" the Kilrathi told them. The two cadets then were transported to an altar to be sacrificed to the "Lords of the Sky". Then the Kilrathi emerged to receive the "sacrifice" and make the two pilots to carry the food offerings for them. They escaped with help from Grunt. Maniac collected two Kilrathi rifles fell from their pursuers and the trio went to destroy the station which sent the activation signal for the Dioscuran Dralthis. They were surrouned by Kilrathi until Archer came and destroyed the installation dome. When Confederation fores arrived, Grunt was taken to an ambulance saying that they performed like Confederation Marines.Lords of the Sky Following this the Claw returns to Netheranya the same day, on the return the peace between the Pilgrims and the Terran Confederation is finalized.Pilgrim Truth, pg Vega Campaign Despite his lack of volubility, he rises steadily into the ranks of the , eventually leading his flight wing to numerous successes. Blair flew several missions during the Vega Campaign in 2654, and his and others (including Carl T. LaFong and Jason Armstrong) actions at Venice ultimately won the Vega Sector for humanity. It unlikely that exact details of Blair's memoirs during this period will ever be known.Star*Soldier, 26 However, here are the known details. Some sources note that Vega Campaign officially began around 2654.110 (around the same time that Blair, Marshall and Taggart were on board the CS Olympus), however Carl T. LaFong's memoirs place the final campaign that wins the sector towards August or September. Training Continues Maverick was preparing for a mission to lead an exploration wing to a binary star system. Then the Claw was attacked by Grikaths and Maverick with the other pilots fought them off. While outside, he was affected by a solar flare, along with Maniac, Goetz and Price. This caused them to have delusions and hallucinations. Hearing that Payback had seen Kilrathi on the ship, he went to report it to Tolwyn, when he saw a hallucination of him talking to 3 Kilrathi. With the other three they hid in a room sharing delusional ideas believing that the Claw was overran by Kilrathi and planned to destroy the ship and escape on Broadswords. They were hunted by Archer and Hyena. Hyena managed to shoot Maverick, and the shock restored his brain functions. Later, Guthrig Andropolos did bio-electric stimulation restoring the others'.The Most Delicate Instrument Maverick had a mission with Hector Paz to explore a system, where he got the chance to know the former Confederation Marine better, and contrast their views on the war: Maverick thought that a tactical move, such as hitting the Prince's flagship, would be more important than killing 1000 troops. The two pilots engaged Kilrathi forces and Maverick had to crash on the planet, after having collected Grunt's ejection pod. Grunt suffered from neuroparalysis and Maverick had to protect him. The planet was inhabited by tentacled monsters, and he kept hostage a Kilrathi survivor, Commander Krulan nar Ragitagha. Against Grunt's reservations, Maverick attempted to befriend Krulan so that they could fight off and escape the monsters until help arrived. The trio started moving towards a volcano, not approached by the monsters. Krulan asked for his weapon, and turned against them. The Kilrathi force came first and Krulan ordered them to hunt down the 2 Terrans. However a rescue team from the Claw arrived soon after and eliminated the Kilrathi and rescued the two pilots. Confronting Krulan, Maverick told him to surrender instead of throwing his life away. Nonetheless he jumped down so that not to be dishonored by his mercy. Grunt confirmed to Maverick that it would be impossible to make peace with the Kilrathi, as all of the are equally evil.Word of Honor Maverick had the opportunity to save Maniac's life when he was hunted by a Kilrathi jump buoy's defense systems and Maverick mocked Maniac for this, to which Maniac replied that he won't ever need him. Later, the pilots volunteered to fly a pulsar jump hypernode reconnaissane with Broadswords. Maverick was chosen with Payback. Envious, Maniac complained that Tolwyn showed favoritism to Maverick because of the Blair family connections. Preparing for the jump, tech specialist Maya McEaddens showed very concerned for this dangerous mission. While in the other side of the jump hypernode, Maverick ordered Payback to keep the Kilrathi occupied while he'd calculate the course for the return. Payback she disobeyed Tolwyn orders of non-engagement and lost her Broadsword. Maverick quickly rescued her in her pod and jumped back. The jump route was to long and the life support systems would not last. Once they arrived, they did not detected the Claw to collect them. Maniac was unable to rescue him as this would ruin the ambush plan. His helpless ship was an easy target for a last Dralthi, but during a hallucnation with his father, he activated the ship's firing systems, destorying the Kilrathi and notifying Maniac he is alive. Maniac tractored the Broadword back to the Claw. In the sickbay, Blair narrated his experience to Maniac and Payback, about seeing his father, and then imagining that Maniac saved his life, which Maniac denied. Maverick told a different story to Tolwyn about how Payback lost her ship, and swore in his family name.Expendable Stationed near that pulsar's hypernode, he was ordered by Tolwyn to be with him in order to learn what it means to command: Leaders don't share the dangers of those under their command, but their role to be right is even harder, as war doesn't forgive mistakes. Once more he was teased by Maniac for staying on the bridge during the ambush and "polishing Tolwyn's brass". Upon the arrival of Admiral Rhea Bergstrom, Tolwyn was ordered to participate in a foolish plan, using the Claw as a bait. Not trusting that Tolwyn would carry out her orders, ordered cadet Blair to spy him for her. Blair saw that Tolwyn was not intending to carry out the orders, so during an attack mission, he revealed it all to Tolwyn, we ordered retreat, and grounded Blair. However Tolwyn soon found out that the Kilrathi had already prepared a trap on their own, and Bergstrom's task force was under attack. Tolwyn complied to her request and assisted her right before its destruction. Blair participated in the battle and rescued Bergstrom's escape pod. After Tolwyn's risky escape plan from the Kilrathi ambush, he told Blair that every time he gives an order, he doesn't know its outcome, he just risked whether the Kilrathi would retreat to allow them to escape.Chain of Command Maverick led a Wing to lend support to the Hospital Ship Pleiku which was ambushed by a Kilrathi advance force and escort it to the Claw. When Maverick picked a ship in his sensors, he left Maniac behind to guard the ship and miss the action, knowing that this would infuriate him. That ship was the Confederation Fighter Transport and they soon realised that it was captured by Kilrathi and attempt to retreat, during which Maverick destroyed the Morgan. Then they went after Confederation ships that the Morgan launched against the Claw and joined the defense.Walking Wounded Maverick was among those that were angered with Maniac, considered him responsible for abandoning Emil Zoharian to score a killing, which resulted to his death. When the Claw and its convoy of were under attack, Maverick led the force which eliminated the threat; they didn't notice a Strakha which made short work of the convoy while the pilots were celebrating. As a result Maverick was also grounded and he with Maniac asked the opinion of Maya McEaddence. As Tolwyn would not listen to their claims of a stealh ship, they decided to act on their own. Maya feigned a malfunction in the derelict transport and Maverick with Maniac used it as a bait for the stealth fighter. Indeed, once the transport was attacked by the Strakha, the two piots emerged and disabled the Strakha. The Kilrathi pilot refused to surrender and self-destroyed his ship. The duo were soon engaged by Sarthas. Maverick was shot but Maniac refused to leave "his wingman" behind. They were joined by Payback and Grunt. Tolwyn admitted his mistake of not believing their reports, and decided to forget the event.Invisible Enemy While the pilots were ready to descend to Oasis for a shore leave, an alien emerged from a Sleep Ship in the Claw demanding to use one of their craft. After attacking Maniac and threatening Tolwyn, Blair took a weapon to stop the alien. They fought hand-in-hand together but the alien stopped as he found Blair familiar. He was shot and took to the brig. Listening to the Oasian legend of the Maker, Maverick wondered if it was related to the alien. He ignored Maya's romantic plans for tonight and flew to the Claw. He asked the permission of Guthrig Andropolos to inquire the alien, who, learning that his Orb is on the planet, broke the door and took Maverick as a hostage to fly a Scimitar to the planet. He flew to the summit of a spire where the Sphere was kept. They fought off Sarthas who came to steal the Sphere. Maniac lost his ship, but the Kilrathi forces were destroyed by the alien's power.Recreation Maniac with Maverick and Archer were sent to Greenhouse to investigate if the sciene base there is safe. On their way they encountered some Grikaths which Maniac happily engaged. One survivor made it to the planet with an eject pod. Not finding his trace, they spent some time in the base, and the two male pilots were infatuated by the striking leader, Bronwyn Sing, who kept the pilots occupied by encouraging their competitiveness and jealousy, and their wish to impress her. Archer noticed Sing's game and while investigating for the Kilrathi. One night, Maverick and Maniac found Archer fighting with Sing, who revealed her plan to end the war by spreading a plague among the Kilrathi, who would infect the others by escaping on Maniac's ship. They pursued the Kilrathi, who was shot down by Archer.On Both Your Houses When Maverick and Clipper were patrolling for the presence of a Kilrathi Carrier, he crashed on a planet. He tried to hid from the Kilrathi looking for him, but was found by Bokh nar Ragitika, who protected him, and expressed his motivation against Thrakhath and his wish to defect to the Confederation. Maniac, disobeying Tolwyn's orders, proceeded to the planet, so as to save Maverick "and remind it to him every day for the rest of his life". Maverick, contacted Maniac and coordinated an attack on the Kilrathi force so that he can escape. He told Tolwyn the news about the Kilrathi defector, but Tolwyn was sceptical, considering it an old trick to ascertain the location of the Claw. He rather set the plan for an ambush to surprise the Kilrathi Carrier. Tolwyn was angered when Blair insisted that the Kilrathi defector would prove useful, and even put him in charge of the task force. Blair even received bitter remarks from Payback, who wondered how he could lead them, being a Kilrathi sympathizer. Indeed, Blair "betrayed" Bokh and the Carrier was successfully destroyed. Tolwyn then considered to believe the information Bokh gave Blair and turn it against Thrakhath, telling him not to be troubled over a dead Kilrathi traitor.Price of Victory Enyo to Venice Blair's competition with Maniac continued on the Tiger's Claw. While aboard Tigers Claw, Marshall proved an unpopular wingman who was considered unreliable, even dangerous, by the rest of his squadron. He blamed Blair from the start for always managing to come out ahead in kills, awards, and promotions.WC3 novel, pg Maverick once saw one hotshot on the Tigers Claw who’d ignored the clearing turn, then lost his engines. The sixty-thousand-ton strike carrier hadn’t left enough of the fighter to bury, much less the pilot.WC4 novel, pg Maverick flew a few missions with Marshall at Gimle. Maniac would always break formation with him, and he wasn't sure he could count on him. He wished he had wingman to back him up, and not go hunting for glory, then yell for help when he gets in too deep.WC3 novel, pg He continued to fly occasional missions with Jeanette Deveraux in unknown locations, and his romance continued to grow. She once told him something similar to; “When I’m out there, with that bird strapped around me and a cat in my sights that’s the only time I really feel alive."WC3 novel, pg James Taggart flew with them under the running name Paladin.WC3 Novel, pgWC3: "BLAIR (cutting him off) All those missions we flew together - - you on my wing, protecting me - - " He had once been Blair's first squadron leader on the Tiger's Claw when came on board the ship.WC3 novel, pg Paladin once told him "Never let your people see you run, laddie."WC3 novel, pg The Vega campaign ends around 2654.287 at Venice many pilots were involved. On Dolos On around 2654.293, Maverick participated in Tolwyn's ruse to enter the Dolos system undetected, by luring the Kilrathi guards to their destruction without reporting to the Kilrathi force. He and Grunt were assigned by Tolwyn to fly a captured Kilrathi ship to Dolos and instigate an uprising among the enslaved Dolosians before the invasion of the Marines to liberate them. Maya once more showed her concern for Maverick, who gave her a diskette with a message for his father, insisting that he wants her to do this in case he would not return. On Dolos Maverick and Grunt approached the Dolosians, however after arranging a meeting with the Dolosian leaders, they were betrayed by Vidkun and taken to Agon Ra Sivar. However Tolwyn's main objective was to destroy the flagship, not liberate the Dolosians, and as a result, Maverick revealed mistaken information to Prince Thrakhath. During the assault to the flagship, Maverick, Grunt and Vidkun escaped and reached the Dreadnaught's bridge, and steered it towards the Kilrathi force on the planet, before escaping in a pod. Maverick was awarded the Gold Wings of the Cadet Wing Commander for his bravery, initiative and ability. Feeling he had be used as a bait on a suicide mission, he denied the award, and threw it into space, saying that the dead of the battle deserve it.Glory of Sivar Deneb Sector: Operation Thor's Hammer and The Firekkan Missions Having heard worrying news from the Goddard colony, the Claw jumped to Deneb Sector. The exact details of Christopher Blair's involvement in this era is not clear, but he flew missions in several systems here, as did Carl T. LaFong and Jason Armstrong.Star*Soldier, 26 Ultimately he took part in one of several attack wingsW1&2G, pg 139 who helped destroy the . He also was involved somehow during the The Firekka Missions as well. Although the only memoirs of that era have been written by Armstrong, LaFong, and Marshall, and there is an unlikelihood that Blair's will ever be published.Star*Soldier, 26 He was on board the carrier when, the admiral made the carrier the flagship of a ramshackle squadron. He took her into action against overwhelming odds to hold off a Kilrathi fleet until Terran relief forces could arrive. At the height of the action Tolwyn relieved old Captain Thorn, the ship’s commanding officer, and filed charges against him for cowardice in the face of the enemy. Thorn had later been reinstated, but no one serving with the old man eve quite forgot the day.WC3 novel, pg He was serving on the Claw when Iceman, Bossman, Knight were lost, and was it was a sad memories for him.WC3 novel, chapter 1 Blair was on board when the TCS Tiger's Claw (with the help of Ian St. JohnWCTKS manual pg,, and Jason ArmstrongSuper Wing CommanderStar*Soldier, 26) helped Hobbes defect.WC3 Novel, pg He received a letter from Hunter detailing the surrender of Hobbes back on the Claw while he was on R&R. Hobbes and Blair flew together back on the old Tiger's Claw a few times, it had been a time of great stress for the cat trying to prove himself.WC3 novel, pg Blair may have been on R&R for much of the Firekka MissionsWCTKS, pg. . The letter in The Kilrathi Saga from Hunter to Blair appears to imply that Christopher Blair was not on the ship but away on R&R at the time.}} Blair was sent a message from Prince Thrakhath nar Kiranka on around 2655.200 threatening revenge for Blair's involvement during an attack on Kilrah's royal fleet, leading to the dishonored death of his father Gilkarg nar Kiranka. He is given the nickname Heart of the Tiger by the weaker warrion-clans.WCTKS manual, pg 49 Vengeance of the Kilrathi This is another era where Blair's specific memoirs have not been published (and often specifically mirror those of LaFong's published memoirs), although more details exist from other documents (this evidence is presented below). When the Claw moves into the K'tithrak Mang system in 2656, to deal with a Kilrathi command post, however, his number comes up: with the sole exception of a few pilots who had been transferred to other ships, and Blair (and Carl T. LaFong) were out on patrol, the Claw is lost with all handsWC3: "First the Tiger’s Claw, now this." PALADIN Enough! You were not to blame for either.BLAIR Some would disagree. ; no one can confirm how. Blair (and LaFong)'s flight data recorders picked up odd signals that appear to be Kilrathi fighters with cloaking devices, and are damaged beyond repair when he engage them. Around 2656.322, Christopher Blair was put under house arrest abord the TCS Austin pending an internal TCSN investigation in the loss of the TCS Tiger's Claw the previous week. He was investigated by Edward Pyle. Captain Jeanette Deveraux was a close friend and frequent wingmate of his, and lover. She did not believe he was guilty.WCTKS, pg 55 He was given a full court martial the following week.WTCTKS, pg 55 While the court martial exonerated him, Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn believed Blair was lying to cover his own treachery, he demoted Blair and exiled them to the backwater Caernavon Station, where he was reassigned to InSystem Security (LaFong wasn't so lucky he was guilty at his trial, Tolwyn all but forced him to resign, but he chose to be reassigned instead).WCTKS manual, pg The admiral thought Blair to be a turncoat, or, had worse yet incompetent, as a result of the loss of the Tiger’s Claw.WC4 novel, pg Blair was widely branded the "Coward of K'tithrak Mang" (and LaFong the Traitor of K'Tithrak Mang) and reviled throughout the Terran Confederation. Doomsday soon after contacted Blair to discuss the issue, and how he was in disbelief. Doomsday though still believed in him, although many didn't, and that he was right about the "stealth" technology.WCTKS manual, pg 49 Blair had been delighted when he and Maniac had been posted in different ships after their tour aboard the Tiger's Claw after their competition through the years had caused a falling out between themWC3 novel, pg. Thad Gunderson was Blair's crew chief during his stint with the system defense forces at Caernavon Station.WC4 novel, pg He had been exonerated by the court-martial but his career seemed to be pretty much over. Thad held his hand and kept him from blowing my brains out until I could get back in the game.WC4 novel pg Blair was still on Caernavon, but when the , Tolwyn's new flagship, jumps in-system and is ambushed, Blair singlehandedly rescues it. Cognizant of the need to keep the best pilots on the front lines, Tolwyn shifts Blair to active service aboard the Concordia, where he serves alongside a number of old friends from the Claw: Jeannette "Angel" Devereaux, Mariko "Spirit" Tanaka, Etienne "Doomsday" Montclair, defected Kilrathi pilot [[Ralgha nar Hhallas|Ralgha "Hobbes" nar Hhallas]]WC3 novel, pgwC3 intro: Hobbes: It warms my heart to see you again, Colonel. But I must excuse myself now, as your duty here takes precedence over our catching up on old times., and Zack "Jazz" Colson. New to the roster is Dirk "Stingray" Wright, enthusiastic and brash whom Blair would help mentorStar*Soldier, pg13. James "Paladin" Taggart drops in on occasion, but Todd "Maniac" Marshall is far away doing testing on some new fighters. To dampen the mood, however, a saboteur is on the Concordia, striking material and personnel. The loss of Spirit is another blow to his moralWC3 novel, pg. In his time aboard the Concordia, Blair is able to finally record incontrovertible evidence of the Kilrathi Strakha Stealth Fighters, uncover and defeat the traitor; around 2667.144 the Kilrathi Stealthships are finally verified by Christopher Blair and Zach Colson (sic) during a patrol mission in the K'tithrak Mang system, both pilots on the TCS Concordia. They were able to disable six of the vessels.WCTKS, pg 60 He helps destroy the K'Tithrak Mang outpost (unknowingly with the help of Carl T. LaFongStar*Soldier, 26WC1&2 guide, pg, who was unaware at the time of Blair's involvement as well) and avenge the Tiger's Claw, and continues his romantic liaison with Angel. Blair's actions at K'tithrak Mang enables Confed to conquer the strategically-vital Enigma Sector. He is also re-promoted to Colonel by a grudgingly respectful Tolwyn. More ominously, he gains the personal attention of Kilrathi Crown Prince Thrakhath nar Kiranka; he is eventually given the Kilrathi warrior name "Heart of the Tiger". Around 2668.111 Christopher Blair was an advisor for the A Treacherous Hero Holovid the movie production of the book about Carl T. LaFong's trial (and their punishment on board Caernavon station). He received a check for 2,022 credits for the royalty. In 2668.322 Blair received his XCU-50 Optical DataZig Console Training certification allowing him to operate consoles. Blair subsequently becomes involved in a number of Secret Ops projects, including the TCS Gettysburg mutiny, the defense of Kilrathi rebel planet Ghorah Khar, and the testing of the new Morningstar Heavy Fighters. He fights at the Battle of Earth and is grounded with injuries for six monthsWC3 novel, pg, during which time the Kilrathi push the Confederation to the wall. He resumes active duty just in time for Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger to start. All in all he spent three years on the Concordia.Wc3 novel, chapter 1 Category:Terrans Category:Terran Confederation pilots Category:Top 20 Aces Heart of the Tiger Blair receives a letter from Angel on their anniversary she discusses how she wants to be with him but has to finish a mission first.WCTKS manual, pg 61 She continues to send him another letter on 2669.210, telling Blair to be careful and stay alive for her.WCTKS, pg 63 On around 2669.220 Christopher Blair transfers over to the Victory after receiving orders from William Eisen.WCTKS, pg 63 Blair is interviewed by Barbar Miles for Personal Point: An Interview with Confed's Top Pilot shortly before he goes on board. With the Concordia lost in the Vespus System and his lover Angel MIA, Blair (now portrayed by Mark Hamill) is assigned to the , a carrier twice as old as he is (mid-30s) and being kept to the rear lines of the war. Despite the relatively unglamorous nature of his assignment, Blair, along with his wing of pilots including top aces Hobbes and Maniac, is able to provide at least some defense for the TCS Behemoth before its destruction at the hands of a traitor. It's from this point that Blair discovers what truly happened to Angel through a holographic recording. She was clawed to death by his old rival Thrakhath. An unstable Blair then leads a wing that is responsible for delivering the Temblor Bomb on the Kilrathi home planet, resulting in the death of the Emperor, as well as Prince Thrakhath (engaged and defeated by Blair in the planet's atmosphere) and is able to avenge his Lair-mate. The destruction of Kilrah lead to the immediate cessation of all hostilities between the Terrans and Kilrathi. Blair is now entitled to add a new label to his roster: "Savior of the Confederation". Tolwyn would apologize for misjudging Christopher Blair in the Tiger's Claw destruction incident.WC3 novel, pg The Price of Freedom After the war, Blair attempts to return to his roots on Nephele and become a farmer. Tolwyn reactivates him during Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom, however, to investigate allegations that the Union of Border Worlds has been causing trouble for Confed shipping (claims that Confed is doing the same thing to Border Worlds shipping are ignored). A third faction is eventually implicated, and Blair succeeds in uncovering it, though he is forced to defect to the Border Worlds to do so, since the faction appears to be supported by elements within Confed. This so-called "Black Lance Affair" results in the summary disgrace and suicide of Admiral Tolwyn. His Last Fairwell Blair remains in the military for the rest of his life, though he accepts a transfer from the Space Forces to the Navy. He is the architect and main proponent of the 'super-carrier' plan, and is aboard the , the first of the new class, on its maiden voyage''Wing Commander: Prophecy. When the ship unexpectedly encounters invaders from another part of the galaxy (codename Nephilim), the ''Midway single-handedly beats them back, mostly led by player character 1st Lt. Lance Casey. Commodore Blair is, unfortunately, lost in the action against the Nephilim, missing and presumed dead on a critical mission to assist Casey in destroying the aliens' galaxy-invading wormhole. His presumed death was mourned by billions all across the galaxy, by both humanity and the Kilrathi. Personality Blair had an orphaned, complicated childhood. He had a deep sense of personal ethics. He was reserved, especially in personal questions, and was very sensitive to comments and inappropriate remarks about about his family. Although reserved, he used to speak his mind. Because of his difficult childhood, he did not welcome personal questions. As a pilot, Maverick was confident, focused, disciplined and creative and responded well to criticism. Although he understood teamwork, he performed best when allowed to take the initiative. His talented flighting suggested leadership potential, although not a natural leader. He was controlled and disciplined in the cockpit but loved to have a reasonable degree of mission autonomy. Maverick saw Maniac both as his closest friend and a personal rival, feeling mutual respect and trust; their cooperation brought out the best in the other, making a remarkable flight team, assuming they are unbeatable. Behind the scenes Homeworld There is a discrepency in his homeworld, some sources state it was on Earth (Victory Streak, The Kilrathi Saga), others say it was on Nephele or Nephele II. The Price of Freedom novel suggests he was an immigrant to Nephele II who had recently chosen to move there, and the Wing Commander: The Movie novel suggests he was a native of Nephele since childhood. Both Nephele Prime, and Nephele Two are both referred to as "Nephele". To be more precile the Movie novel and Pilgrim Truth never specifically states that he was born on Nephele but that it was the only home that he never knew (other than a brief time on Peron as a child), and that his uncle has a farm there. Graduation date There are some discrepencies to when he graduated from the academy/flightschool, etc. Some sources place it around 2653 (The Kilrathi Saga), others place it around the early part of 2654. This is not in entirely a discrepency in that it is possible that he finished up his senior year on board the TCS Formidable in 2653 and then graduation ceremonies were in 2654. Part of the issue comes down to how classes are set up in the academy as well. With year one, year two, and year three set primarily at Hilthros, and senior year traveling about on other ships; The Academy Years. The Wing Commander Academy adds to the problem in that it sets quite a bit of the academy on board the TCS Tiger Claw (when other accounts in the games or movie material do not have him setting foot on it until after the Academy). This issue also affects Maniac's bio as well. The retcon moving much of Academy into the Vega Campaign period causes a number of other issues. Beyond that there are discrepencies on if the Academy program was a two or three year accelerated program, or a four year proram, that adds to the confusion. Name Because Blair is Wing Commander's player character, he had no official name for the first two installments of the series; the player was allowed to personalize the character's name and call sign. #Origin Systems's in-house bible referred to him as "Bluehair", a joke about the artistic usage of blue highlights over his dark hair, a result of the lighting of the Tiger's Claw. The default name of the character by the program (eg. when jumping missions by a cheat) was "Bluehair" Our Hero #''Wing Commander I & II: The Ultimate Strategy Guide'' (1992): the protagonist's name was given as Carl T. Lafong (Prankster). This character is treated as as seperate character in Star*Soldier who happened to serve alongside Christopher Blair and Todd Marshall. The book treats the game itself as a combination of different stories by different pilots from many sources and battles during the war, turned into a holo-vid by Tristam Roberts. As such the 'players' could be 'anyone' more or less. #''Wing Commander I & II: The Ultimate Strategy Guide'' (1992): the protagonist name is given as Pitak Puzaki for the Hubble's Star and Hell's Kitchen missions. He serves on board the . Treated as an alternate character, and an addition to the vid-game suggested to Tristam Roberts by Carl T. LaFong. #SegaCD version (1994): When the speech cut scenes required a standard name, this was given as "Hotshot". As a note of trivia, in the Kilrathi Saga manual Larry "Tooner" Dibbles referred to Blair as "Hotshot" in the academy (although several students were vying for that title). #Japanese Sega MegaCD version: He was named Lyle Starbuck #Super Wing Commander (1994): The protagonist is named Jason Armstrong (Maverick). Star*Soldier also makes Armstrong a separate character to Maverick that existed around the same time, and wrote yet another memoir of that era. #''Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger'' (1994): He is called "Blair", according to a rumor being a shortening of "Bluehair" from the first game. He was also given the name "Christopher" in honor of series creator Chris Roberts. The player is still allowed to assign a callsign. #''Kilrathi Saga'' (1996): In the releases of WC1 and WC2, the player defaults to Blair and Maverick in WC1, and also the first name Christopher in WC2. Maverick is default callsign in WC3. #''Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom'' (1996): The player is allowed to assign a callsign. #''Wing Commander Academy'' (1996): The protagonist of the series is referred to as Christopher Blair (Maverick). #''Wing Commander Prophecy'' (1997): The callsign Maverick is mentioned. #William R. Forstchen's novelizations described him as using the call sign "Maverick." # (1999): Blair is called with his full name only, his callsign "Maverick" is never heard. The series bible indicates that other candidates for Blair's call sign included "Falcon" and "Phoenix," the latter of which saw print in the novel End Run. The "Maverick" callsign is widely used in late publications. Finally, during the course of Wing Commander III, Blair finds out that he is the game's titular Heart of the Tiger, and in the The Price of Freedom novelization uses this as a public call sign (not unusual, as call signs are generally bestowed by fellow pilots or instructors to begin with). In Pilgrim Truth, the second novelization in an abortive trilogy based on , Blair adopts the callsign "Pilgrim" in an acknowledgment of his ethnic roots. Christopher Blair and Carl T. LaFong as separate Characters Carl T. "Prankster" LaFong was created for the Wing Commander I & II: The Ultimate Strategy Guide as the protagonist and narrator. He is representing the actual canonical "truth" behind the first two games, while the games themselves are treated as an "adaptation" of his career; as such he is represented by the (unnamed) player character. The book has details of LaFong's background outside the games, such as his enrollment to the Academy, his studies, his life between some missions and the two games, and his retirement. Prankster is referenced as a seperate canonical character alongside Maverick (Blair) and Todd Marshal (Maniac) in Star*Soldier on page 7; :"The Rapier II replaced the aging CF-117 in 2654 and immediately made an impact: Dragon, Bandit, Maverick, Maniac, Prankster... a disproportionate number of the war’s top twenty aces served with Rapier II squadrons." According to the writer and designers notes for understanding this reference; :"Prankster" - This isn't the last time you'll see this: as awful as it is, I find the idea that Carl "Prankster" LaFong (the character from the Wing Commander I & II Ultimate Strategy Guide) and Chris Blair are two different people hilarous."http://www.wcnews.com/cgi-bin/searchnews.cgi Another reference is made on page 26 of Star*Soldier :“The sheer exhilaration with which :Marshall tells his war stories gives :his book a leg up on the likes of :Armstrong and LaFong.” :—Michael Gallagher This reference is explained by the designers and writers as such; :"Armstrong and LaFong" - I love this joke and I get the feeling everyone else hates it. Armstrong and LaFong were alternate names for Blair, used in Super Wing Commander and the Wing Commander I & II Ultimate Strategy Guide respectively. This is actually addressing a real book, since the conceit of that latter guide is that now-octogenerian LaFong has written his memoirs and you're reading them. Sorta contradicts Blair's death, too, if they're the same character... The player character in the series was later canonized as "Christopher Blair" in and from then on, the characters have diverged and Blair was developed a different background. In the Kilrathi Saga manual there are a few references to the Guide, now mentioned to refer to Blair, like the terms "Hilthros" and "201st Class" and references of Raymond Blakely and Michael Anthony as Blair's roommate, and the Kilrathi Saga versions of WC1 and WC2 defaults to the name Blair and Maverick callsign. It seems that the Saga manual and Kilrathi Saga versions of the games intended to merge LaFong and Blair or simply rename LaFong as Blair. While Star*Soldier again makes them separate characters who often served together. An understanding of the conceit behind the first half of the book (concerning the WC1 material) is that LaFong is telling his story, not necessarily Blair's story although they served together and presumably had missions that were very similar to each other (although specific stories for Blair during that era have never been publishedStar*Soldier, 26). Wing Commander the game itself offers a number of alternate missions with similar objectives with just character and location names changed (the book points this out by suggesting that the video game is a composite of many different missions and stories from many different sources in the war, the Memoirs of Carl T. LaFong just represent experiences and the missions he specifically was on). This also plays with the fact that in WC1 during mission briefings there are a number of pilot heads who all represent pilots out on missions at the same time assigned the same or different squadrons (game limitations only allow for a wing commander and his wing mate in a mission at a time, when the stories suggest there are many more pilots out there patrolling many different points). The missions themselves are largely simple and generic and repetitive (nothing particularly iconic, and mostly the kind of missions any number of individuals could have easily experienced, at different times). Much as Star*Soldier points out there are almost no direct references to which actions Christopher Blair took during that era, and no 'memoirs' of his specific actions.Star*Soldier, 26 As Wing Commander 2's events became a bit more problematic as they give specific references tied into hard cutscenes (dramatic situations and cinematic events), and other sources give direct references to Blair during those events (the reliability of LaFong's account is thus less clear in those chapters, and would seem less likely that he would encounter the same specific events, punishments and locations as Blair), unless he was deliberately mirroring/stalking Blair from the "shadows" so to speak. Although Star*Soldier may suggest otherwise, that any resemblance in histories is coincidental. For example, Carl T. LaFong also claims to have helped destroy the K'tithrak Mang, it can be only assumed if he is telling the truth he secretly helped Blair (likely without Blair's knowledge of it), or that he was lieing and using Blair's story as his own. But by 2701 when Star*Soldier is published the knowledge of Blair's actions in WC2, and LaFong's actions as well from his published works, no one appears to question any of the accounts of those events, and Prankster is considered one of Kilrathi Wars twenty best aces, suggesting that both accounts are true. This wiki follows Star*Soldier in that the Memoirs are canonical in-universe documents written by LaFong, and that Blair, LaFong and Armstrong are each separate canonical characters who 'coincidently' seemingly happen to have shared the same or similar adventures (in actuality or form of plagiarism). Some fans may see the missions as referring to the actions of Blair, rather than LaFong, but this does not always work as LaFong's actions outside of the scope of game's missions are often tied back into those missions themselves, including his motives and choices, and thus are an important part of LaFong's background (but these do not necessarily fit with Blair's backstory or motives as discussed in other sources). Technically the exact details of Blair's actions during that period have never been given in any published source. This is nodded to in Star*Soldier when it mentions the unlikelihood that Blair's memoirs would ever be published. :“Given the unlikelihood of seeing :Blair’s memoirs, Me: The Life and :Battles of ‘Maniac’ Marshall offers :the clearest possible picture of :the missions that defeated the Kilrathi.” ::—Dr. Silas Torg, U. of Central Florida From the developer and writer notes; :"unlikeyhood" - Is this Torg's passive-aggressive way of reminding everyone that Blair is dead, or is he still alive and just unlikely to write a memoir (like Neil ARMSTRONG)? Also noted in Star*Soldier as part of the meta-joke is that it implies that Marshall apparently embellishes his stories and egoistically inflates his own importance during the war, possibly even going as far to insert himself where he might not have been (an accusation which may be handed towards Armstrong and LaFong as well, but is not levels specifically in the magazine). Portrayal *In Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger, Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom, Wing Commander: Prophecy, and the animated television series Wing Commander Academy, Blair was played and voiced by veteran actor and Star Wars star Mark Hamill. *In the 1999 , Christopher Blair is played by Freddie Prinze, Jr.. The movie takes place right when 2nd Lt. Christopher Blair is assigned to the Tiger's Claw along with fellow pilot Todd Marshall and James Taggart. In the movie, Blair is a half-Pilgrim, a group of people known for their innate sense for spatial navigation and a few other special abilities. Category:Terrans Category:Terran Confederation pilots Category:Top 20 Aces Category:Tiger's Claw survivor